Michigan

A Mona Shores High School student watches intently as wires are attached to his body for an electrocardiogram, or EKG. The procedure is one of a few that are conducted during Mercy Health Muskegon's free student heart screening program. The initiative begins on April 23, 2014 and will end on August 6.
(MLive File Photo)

MUSKEGON, MI – Mercy Health Muskegon will resume this month an annual screening program that can potentially save the lives of active youth and student-athletes.

The hospital’s Student Heart Screening Program, which helps identify pre-existing cardiovascular conditions in teens, will begin Wednesday, April 23 at the Hackley Campus. The session is set to run 6-9 p.m.

Cardiologists say the screenings can identify a student who may be at risk of provoking disease progression, a medical episode or sudden cardiac death due to sports and other strenuous physical activities.

The program -- a partnership among the hospital’s physician group, West Shore Cardiology, Mercy Heart Center and the Mercy Health Athletic Performance Center -- can detect irregular heart rhythm patterns and other disorders.

It began in 2011, the same year Fennville High School basketball player Wes Leonard died of a dilated cardiomyopathy-related heart attack just moments after making a game-winning shot. Three years later, in March, Grandville High School student and hockey player Ryan Fischer died unexpectedly because he had a thickened heart, also known as hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

Helen DeVos Children's Hospital Chief of Cardiology Dr. Ronald Grifka has said that Leonard’s condition is rare among teens and occurs in one of every 200,000 healthy athletes. However, many cardiologists recommend the screenings because they can detect long-term conditions.

During the 15-minute screenings, students will fill out a questionnaire and will have a blood pressure check, a 12-lead EKG, a physician review and an echocardiogram, if indicated. A cardiologist will review student’s records within 10 days to determine the pupil’s risk and if they need to schedule a follow-up visit.

Students must have the consent of a parent or guardian to undergo the free screening. They must be in high school and have birth dates between Jan. 1, 1996 and Dec. 31, 2001.

Hospital spokeswoman Joan Kessler said there is no deadline for families to set up an appointment for the April 23 screenings, although most of the slots are filled. The hospital has planned four additional monthly dates through August.

“We have nearly 400 students registered and room for 800 more,” Kessler said on Tuesday.

Parents who want to schedule a screening should visit the official event website and find a date and time that work best for them, she said.